


my mother's love has always felt like manacles

by violetmessages



Series: These Happy Days [4]
Category: Torchwood
Genre: Bad Parenting, F/M, Found Family, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Series 03 Fix-It: Children of Earth (Torchwood)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-22
Updated: 2020-12-22
Packaged: 2021-03-11 04:07:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,128
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28228878
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/violetmessages/pseuds/violetmessages
Summary: In which Mary Cooper visits and Gwen has a hard time coping.
Relationships: Gwen Cooper & Jack Harkness, Gwen Cooper/Rhys Williams, Jack Harkness/Ianto Jones
Series: These Happy Days [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1990219
Comments: 13
Kudos: 40





	my mother's love has always felt like manacles

**Author's Note:**

> So I rewatched Miracle Day (I know bad decision) and I was really interested in the dynamic between Gwen and Mary Cooper, especially how it would be like in a children of earth fixit. So this is my attempt at exploring that.

The doorbell rang, and Jack ran to open it after hearing Gwen shout, _can you get the door,_ from upstairs. He pulled open the door and raised his eyebrows when he saw Gwen’s mother standing there, holding a bag in her arms. 

“Oh, hello, dear,” Mrs. Cooper said. “I’m Gwen’s mother.”

“Yeah, I know,” he said, grinning at her. She gave a pinched smile back, pushing past him inside the house. “Well, come on in.” 

“Now, where is my daughter?” Mrs. Cooper asked, walking briskly to the kitchen. She placed her bag on the table and looked at him expectantly. “I’m her mother; she must have told you I would be coming over sometimes?”

“Yeah.” Jack nodded. “She did, only she didn’t tell me that you were coming over today. Gwen’s upstairs with Anwen; I’m sure she’ll be down in a minute.”

“I see,” Mrs. Cooper said, giving him a smile that didn’t match her eyes. “Well, why should she come meet her mother by the door? I see that task has been relegated to _house guests_.”

“Oh, I’m not sure Gwen knew you were coming,” Jack responds politely. “And I’m not a house guest - I live here too!”

“Oh, really?” Mrs. Cooper asked, giving him a look. He nodded back, and she pulled her face into that awkward smile again. “Well, I didn’t tell her because I was sure she’d tell me not to visit. I mean she won’t even let me see my own granddaughter!”

“That doesn’t sound like Gwen,” said Jack, trying to be polite but needing to defend Gwen. “I’m sure she’d let you see Anwen anytime you wanted.”

“Hm,” Mrs. Cooper said. Jack heard a noise behind him, and he turned to see Gwen walk into the kitchen. After seeing her mother, her face morphed from a contented look to a panicked one on a neutral smile. 

“Mum,” she said, sounding tired. “Why are you here?”

“What do you mean, _why are you here?_ ” asked Mrs. Cooper, walking forward and pulling Gwen into a hug. “I’m your mother, after all. Or did you forget, since you haven’t let me see Anwen in weeks?”

“I’m not keeping her from you; I’m just-” Gwen starts to argue before taking a deep breath. “Whatever. You can’t see her now, anyways. She’s sleeping.”

“Well, I’m sure she’ll be up after dinner.” Mrs. Cooper smiled. “And I did bring her a present.”

“Oh, you’re staying for dinner,” Gwen stated, looking at Jack desperately. He shrugged, and she turned back to her mother. “ _Of course you are_. Well, what did you get her?”

“Oh, I just saw it in the store, and I had to get it,” said Mrs. Cooper, opening her back and extracting a pink dress. “It’ll just look so cute on her, don’t you think?”

“Pink?” Gwen said, looking disgusted. “Why do you keep buying her pink things? It’s frivolous.”

“She’s a little girl.” Mrs. Cooper glared. “She’ll look nice in pink, don’t you think - uh?”

“Jack,” he finished for her. “It, _um,_ looks nice.” Gwen scowled at him, and he gave her an awkward look. He could be charming and agreeable if he needed to be, and he didn’t think Mrs. Cooper liked him very much anyway. 

“So then, what’s for dinner?” Mrs. Cooper asked. 

“Uh, Rhys is making a lasagna for dinner,” Gwen said. “I guess that should be enough for all five of us.”

“Five?” Mrs. Cooper laughed. “I don’t think Anwen can eat lasagna yet, darling.”

“Not Anwen, Ianto,” clarified Gwen, raising an eyebrow at her mother. “You know we’re living with Jack and Ianto.”

“Still,” Mrs. Cooper sneered. “What are you doing, Gwen? Is this some kind of midlife crisis? Does Anwen even know who her father is?”

“Yes, she does!” Gwen yelled. “What the-”

“-Mrs. Cooper, Rhys is her father; everyone knows that,” Jack said, attempting to defuse the situation. “Ianto and I are just her adoptive uncles - it’s like living with roommates, that’s all.”

“I see,” Mrs. Cooper said, giving him that uncomfortable smile again. “Well, how long until dinner then?”

* * *

All five of them sat at a table, Rhys’s lasagne in front of them. After being introduced to Ianto, Mrs. Cooper hadn’t said a word to either Jack or Ianto, simply focusing her attention on Gwen, who was getting visibly angry by the minute. Jack couldn’t blame her. From the moment she arrived, Mrs. Cooper had made criticism after criticism of her daughter, all in front of them. 

“Rhys, this lasagna is very good.” Mrs. Cooper smiled at Rhys. 

“Thanks, Mary,” Rhys said, smiling back. “I make them and freeze them, so we don’t have to start from scratch every time.”

“Truly is a shame that Gwen’s a right dud in the kitchen,” Mrs. Cooper continued. “I mean, it’s fine if you’re simply married, you can make your Rhys cook for you, but what kind of a mother can’t feed her own child?”

“I don’t need to make the food to feed Anwen,” said Gwen. “I don’t think I ever had, and she’s fine.”

“Well, of course she’s fine; she hasn’t eaten your cooking,” Mrs. Cooper laughed. “I am a modern woman - I’ve certainly never cooked for Geriant on a regular basis, but at least I could make something for you if you were hungry.”

“Well, I don’t think that’s a problem, Mrs. Cooper,” Ianto said. “One of us is always in the house, so if Anwen ever needs anything, we can make it for her.”

“Is that so?” Mrs. Cooper said snidely. “Well, what happens when you leave?”

“What?” Ianto asked. Mrs. Cooper gave him an expectant look. 

“Well, you certainly aren’t going to live here forever, are you? So what happens when you leave?”

“I- um,” Ianto stuttered, and Gwen cut him off. 

“They aren’t leaving, Mum,” she said, voice firm. Mrs. Cooper shrugged at him, and Jack gave back a polite smile in return. 

“I see. Stop slouching, dear.” Mrs. Cooper chided. “It’ll give you bad posture”

Gwen sat up and glared dangerously, but her mother ignored her, continuing to talk. 

“Well, anyways. Guess who I ran into the other day?”

“Who?” Rhys asked, awkwardly. 

“Cerys Davies,” Mrs. Cooper said with delight, and Gwen groaned. “She and Gwen used to be in constant competition during their schooling.”

“We used to compete for the highest test scores,” Gwen explained, gritting her teeth. 

“Yes, well, she did manage to beat you most of the time, dear,” Mrs. Cooper said, looking sympathetically. “I don’t think I would call that competing, if you kept losing.”

“She didn’t beat me most of the time,” said Gwen, furrowing her eyebrows. “And I almost had the same scores on all my A-levels.”

“But not quite,” Mrs. Cooper said. “Cerys had better ones than you.”

“She beat me by one subject!” Gwen glowered. “We were tied on everything except maths.”

“Yes, well, one subject or not, you still didn’t do as good as she did,” Mrs. Cooper said. “Anyway, I ran into her the other day, and she’s doing quite well for herself.”

“Is she now?” Gwen asked sardonically. “Well, good for her.”

“Good for her indeed.” Mrs. Cooper smiled. “She’s got a flash car, a new baby, a great job. She said her husband and her are living in that fancy new flat complex.”

“ _Great_ ,” said Gwen, voice dripping with sarcasm. Mrs. Cooper ignored it, continuing on. 

“Yes, she’s got a great job, making quite a bit of money, really. But I said, I don’t care what my Gwen does, as long as she’s _happy._ ” Mrs. Cooper smirks. “Still, it was interesting to see what she’s doing. It could have been you.”

“Mum, you know that I chose to-”

“-I know,” Mrs. Cooper cut her off. “But I never imagined this would be your life. I mean, you were so smart as a child. Now you don’t _even_ have a job.”

“She doesn’t need a job,” Jack cut in before Gwen can say a word. He’d be civil, but Gwen didn’t deserve this. “We’ve all retired, and we get a pension.”

Gwen’s mother shot him a hard look, which he ignored. Ianto and Rhys looked very uncomfortable, and Gwen was glowering, looking like she was trying very hard to keep herself calm. 

“Regardless, you had so much potential. You were so smart. Now, look at you,” Mrs. Cooper said, sighing. “This is your life. Imagine what you could have done if you had only listened to me and applied yourself more.”

“I’ve applied myself fine, and I’m happy with my life,” Gwen exclaimed back. “I don’t need you to keep comparing me to Cerys Davies.”

“Well, darling, I’m only telling you this because I love you,” said Mrs. Cooper. Gwen looked hurt, but managed to school her expression back to the neutral face she had been wearing ever since she saw Mrs. Cooper. Jack reached below the table, and squeezed her hand in support. 

“Thanks for the advice, mum,” Gwen said coldly. She reached out to take another square of lasagna, and Mrs. Cooper tutted. “What?”

“Really? Another?” she said. “I mean, you might want to watch your waistline, dear.” She gestured to her stomach. “It’s been a while since Anwen was born. Do you really think that’s wise?”

“I _suppose_ not,” Gwen said slowly, dropping the serving spoon. She grimaces, and Mrs. Cooper smiles at her. 

“We must make sure not to overindulge,” Mrs. Cooper said. “We want to be healthy.”

“Mary, I’m sure-” Rhys started, and trailed off when he saw her face. Mrs. Cooper gave him a hard look, and he shook his head. “Sorry, nothing.”

Jack was horrified. He would never treat any of his children this way, and he never had. He wanted to yell at Mrs. Cooper - tell her that her daughter was smart, capable, and had probably saved the world more than she could count. But Gwen would get angry at him if he butted in, so he kept his mouth shut. Looking into Ianto’s eyes, he could tell that he felt the same way. 

After dinner, Mrs. Cooper dawdled for a few minutes but then said her goodbyes, hugging Gwen and Rhys and waving courteously to Ianto and Jack. She dropped a kiss on Anwen’s forehead, smiled at Gwen, and walked out the door. Immediately after they heard her car drive off, Gwen stalked to the door. 

“I need a walk,” she said, voice hard and strained, and disappeared into the night. Jack, Rhys, and Ianto all looked at each other. 

“I’ll go after her,” Jack volunteered before anyone could say anything. He slipped on his greatcoat and ran out the door, following Gwen’s footsteps on the sand. He reached her after a minute. 

Gwen was sitting on a rock, arms encircled around each other. She was shivering, and he could see the light glimmer off the wetness on her face. Jack walked up to her, and she looked up at him. Her eyes were wide, glinting with unshed tears. She looked wrecked. 

Taking off his greatcoat, he wrapped it around Gwen, then sat beside her on the rock. She leaned against him, pulling her hands inside the sleeves of his coat, and hugging herself. Jack wrapped his arms around her, and she took a gasping sob.

“It’s not her,” Gwen whispered after a moment. “She’s just like that - I know that now, I’ve accepted it. This isn’t because of her.”

“She shouldn’t be talking to you like that,” he responded, kissing her forehead. Gwen was silent for another minute. 

“What if I do that?” she asked quietly. “To Anwen.”

“You’re not going to,” responded Jack quickly. “You’re a good mother, Gwen, and I know you’re not going to repeat what your mother does to you.”

“She’s doing it because she loves me,” said Gwen, sniffling. “What if I do that to Anwen - out of love?”

“It doesn’t matter whether or not she loves you,” Jack said firmly. He needed to make sure Gwen understood, so he released her from his hug and looked into her eyes. “The way she treats you, the way she talks to you, that’s wrong, and you don’t deserve it. And I know you aren’t going to do that to Anwen, and I know you aren’t going to repeat what she does. I know you, Gwen Cooper. And you are a good person and an even better mother.”

Gwen trembled, tears falling down her face, and Jack pulled her back into a hug again, wrapping his arms around her. She collapsed into his chest, and he stroked her back as she cried, watching the silvery light hit the churning sea as his best friend sobbed her heart out, unable to do anything about her pain except offer her comfort. 

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading! Kudos/Comments are appreciated!
> 
> Find me on tumblr [here](https://violetmessages.tumblr.com/)


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